After Everything
by UniqueUnicorn
Summary: After the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sasuke is back in Konoha and it seems like he starts to have feelings for Sakura Haruno. But what happens when she seems to be falling for someone else? Sasusaku. MultiSaku. Sasosaku.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, even if I wanted to. XD

_Prologue_

Itachi was running, and he kept running for as long as his feet can still feel the ground. But someone was running after him. Someone perplexed, anxious, and curious. Someone who wanted answers - Sasuke Uchiha, his younger brother. It was in the middle of the Fourth Shinobi World War and Itachi already gained control of his mind and body after the Impure World Resurrection was used to bring him back.

He'd been travelling for three days already, when he finally gave in to answering Sasuke's questions. They sat down on a tree in the forest where they were running. "Is it all true? Did the elders really force you to eliminate the clan?" asked the younger Uchiha. "Yes, it is true. I killed them to prevent war between our clan and Konohagakure. To prevent innocent people from being killed." Itachi answered. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why couldn't you just return and tell everyone the truth?" shouted Sasuke.

"I…wanted you to get stronger, I wanted to persuade you to become powerful and to protect the people left in the village who love and care about you."

"…"

"But I never expected you to learn and strive from hatred. And that's what I regret about the most. Causing you to become like this and defect from Konoha."

"So, do you know who Tobi really is?" said Sasuke calmly.

"I don't know. But there are a few things I know that can be used against them against the war. I think I should also ask a few questions. Why are you helping the Akatsuki? By now, I think you know that I only joined to spy on them from the inside." said Itachi ever so coolly.

"It is my goal to destroy Konoha and to kill everyone who stands in my way of doing so."

"If I do, will you kill me?"

"Huh?" Sasuke was quite shocked.

"I know you want to purify the name of the Uchiha, but there are other methods of doing this. Tobi and Kabuto are just using you."

"Tobi and Kabuto? What could they possibly do to harm me?"

"Tobi and Kabuto have an agreement. Kabuto will help Akatsuki in the war by reviving dead and powerful shinobi using the Impure World Resurrection. Which explains why Madara Uchiha, me, and other members of Akatsuki were revived. In return…Tobi will hand over your body to Kabuto. Like Orochimaru, he believes that he can achieve immortality by changing bodies from time to time. And who was Orochimaru's ideal container? You."

"Then how can I cleanse the name of the Uchiha?" demandingly asking his older brother.

"By gaining their trust. Then by restoring our clan and helping Konoha with the _new _Uchiha."

"How about you then? What will you do after this is all over." asked Sasuke.

"I'm not sure if I'll survive this war. According to my research, there's a rough chance that the Allied Shinobi Forces will be able to kill Madara, Tobi, and the others. Especially Madara, the Five Kages are currently fighting him simultaneously but he's become exceptionally more powerful now with the Rinnegan and Wood Release. And Tobi now controls his own six paths, each being a jinchuriki. So the only way might be for me to defeat Kabuto, to deactivate the jutsu."

"But that means…!"

"Yes, if he goes down then Madara and I will too. I'll most likely _die again_."

"There has to be another way!"

"No, Sasuke. I knew that this might happen one day. You and only you can bring the clan back. That's why I want you to-." An explosion interrupted Itachi.

"KABUTO! Sasuke, I must request your help to defeat Kabuto then I'll talk to you about what you need to know. Deal?" said Itachi.

"Hn." was his younger brother's reply with a nod of his head.

* * *

The Allied Shinobi Forces had many camps scattered in all the country boundaries and the hidden villages themselves. One of which in Fire Country, a medic was travelling around from tent to tent healing the injured and the sick nin that were involved in nearby attacks. Said medic had short, pink hair, reaching a few centimetres below her shoulders. Her bright eyes were tinted lightly with a soft green, burning with the fire of determination. Her apron-skirt stained with bright red blood from the victims of the brutal war. And her large forehead was slightly scratched and sweaty. Sakura Haruno, considered by many as the third greatest medic in Fire Country behind only Shizune and the Godaime Hokage herself, Tsunade.

Sakura tried to heal as many as possible while they had the time for having retreated for a while. She was healing a young genin with minor bruises when she was interrupted by Shizune. "Sakura-san, I need you to look at a certain patient with me. Now." Sakura was startled, "What injury could the patient must have for both of us to heal them?" she asked herself. Shizune led her to a special tent, where some of the most important shinobi rested. As soon as she saw where Shizune led her to or rather to whom Shizune led her to, she realized that what was peculiar was not the injury but who had the injury.

"B-but, how is this possible?" asked the pinkette.

"It had seemed that he was resurrected by Kabuto Yakushi." replied the Godaime's assistant.

"Still…"

Both of the medics were still trying to think of possible methods of how their situation came to be, for the injured shinobi lying unconscious in front of them was a very alive, very human, and somehow very young Akasuna no Sasori.

"According to the information we gathered and some eye witnesses, his revived grandmother, Lady Chiyo, tried to give him a human body after he was affected by a genjutsu that released his soul from the Edo Tensei. It was the only way to keep him alive. But it wasn't very successful since Kabuto was still in control of Chiyo, he tried to stop it while thinking that Sasori wasn't useful anymore and the fact that he was showing signs of…defection." said Shizune.

"Defection? But why would he defect against Akatsuki?"

"Some say because Nagato wasn't in control of the organization anymore, he did not believe nor he wanted to support Tobi's ambitions."

"So now that he's not a part of the Akatsuki, he's an ally?"

"Temari said that he came to Sunagakure himself to talk to the Kazekage and become an ally even though he was already injured. Gaara was busy in the battlefield at the moment so Suna's high ranks and interrogation team talked to him. He's one of us now, but he needs an escort at all times with him."

"And I'm here because…?"

"You and I will heal him of his injuries and you will be his escort for 72 hours, that includes the time consumed while he's unconscious."

"WHAT THE HECK! How am I supposed to do that when I'm probably the reason why he died? How can I even talk to him?"

"Well then you just have to pray that he doesn't wake up in three days." Shizune replied with a grin on her face.

"Does Tsunade-sama already know about this?"asked Sakura.

"Yes. But since she's battling Madara Uchiha with the other Kage, she can't attend to him herself, considering he's background status." said Shizune.

Sakura and Shizune then started to heal the puppet master. Healing all his cuts and bruises first. They then checked for any signs of internal injuries, and healed a fracture on his arm. They then bandaged all his wounds carefully and quickly, to avoid infections. After healing him, Shizune left them in the tent to let both of them rest.

"Uh…uh" grumbled the red head.

"Ah, you're finally waking up! Thank Kami!" jubilantly proclaimed the pinkette that was watching him.

"Whe-where am I?"

"You're in the Fire Country Camp of the Allied Shinobi Forces." was the medic's reply.

Sasori sat up from his lying position and looked at the figure that was wiping sweat from the sides of his face. He saw undoubtedly familiar light pink hair, beautiful light green eyes and a simple smile etched upon the medic's face.

"Wait. You seem familiar. Aren't you Sakura from Konohagakure?"

"Aa." said Sakura with a soft smile while very subtle pink tinted her cheeks. She was embarrassed not merely by the fact that he recognized her but because he probably already realized that she was with his grandmother when he died and she was half of the people who caused his demise.

Sakura was panicked by the serious and bored look Sasori gave her. "Ahahaha, you probably remembered me. But, please don't kill me though! I know you might want revenge but I can tell you _that _is most certainly not a good path to follow, considering the fact that I know someone who chose that road and ended up being an international criminal which you already are-were! I mean _were_ because I heard you've suddenl-"

"Will you shut up." said Sasori commandingly that was, as expected, effective with the slight glare he gave her.

"I have to go." said Sasori while trying to stand up but Sakura held him down.

"I'm sorry, but you are still not in the proper condition to leave the camp. You still need to rest for a minimum of two days." 24 hours had passed since Shizune gave her the assignment and even though how stubborn she was, she had to oblige because Shizune was actually given the power to tell her what to do because even though they weren't in the same division, she was still after all, a medical-nin.

"And whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me during the period of two days."

Sakura then realized that Sasori was_ staring_ at her.

"It is rude to stare, ya know."

"Oh yeah, sorry. It's just that you're hair is strangely unique. But I've seen more peculiar cases, of course."

Sakura scowled. "Whatever. Just don't forget, I'll be watching you." She then gave Sasori a short glare.

Sasori smirked then stared at the tent's opening that serves as the entrance and the exit. "Don't worry, I have no relations nor ambitions that may be shared with Tobi to betray the Allied Shinobi Forces. If there's anything you should worry about, it's probably the stalkers that keep on peeping inside this tent."

Sakura turned crimson red and nearly exploded upon hearing Sasori's last remark. "What do you mean 'stalkers'? I, Sakura Haruno, do not have stalkers!"

Sasori's smirk grew wider. "Then what do you call the few shinobi that have been staring at you during our entire conversation through the tent's entrance?"

Sakura tried her best to calm down and respond in a witty way. "Maybe they're just checking up on me, knowing the fact that the person I am talking to is a former member of a group composed of S-rank criminals that are probably the whole cause of this war."

Sasori's stern facial expression returned. "You may have a point there. Anyway, I don't think I would be capable of socializing with anyone within the two day period we have, so I'll just have to stay here."

Sakura nodded in reply. "By the way, since you're reincarnated and now have a new body, how old are you?"

Sasori looked sternly at Sakura before answering the question. "It seems that my body is currently about fifteen or sixteen years old but my mind and soul is about thirty five years of age. So basically, I'm more mature than what I look like."

Sakura just nodded her head while still wondering why she asked the question in the first place.

After that, they grew slightly fond of each other but to both of them, Sasori was still a stoic and serious man who had absolutely no care for any emotions besides maybe disappointment, anger, and impatience.

* * *

"Tsukuyomi!" cried Itachi as he cast the genjutsu upon Kabuto. Kabuto tried to resist at first, but the Uchiha Prodigy's control and power upon the genjutsu remained dominant. After a few minutes which seemed days to the victim, Itachi stopped.

"Sasuke, I think it's done. We've defeated him and now I know enough information about the Edo Tensei. Let's go." said Itachi as he walked out of the cave where Kabuto was laying.

"Hn. Where are we going?" asked Sasuke, following his brother.

"We need to talk to the Hokage."

"As far as I know, the Five Kage are combating against Madara Uchiha."

"Hn."

"Wait. Now that we've defeated Kabuto, how will the Edo Tensei work?"

"I'll explain everything when we talk to the Hokage. Don't let your guard down, we might face off Madara Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit. "Hn."

* * *

"He's still hasn't given up yet." said the Kazekage.

"It's either we directly kill him or we seal him." said the Mizukage.

"In either case, it will be difficult doing so. His chakra reserves are still high." said the Hokage.

"The only way we'll do this is through teamwork." said the Tsuchikage.

The Five Kage all nodded in response and continued their battle against Madara Uchiha.

After a few hours, the Uchiha Brothers arrived at the vicinity of the battle of the Five Kage and Madara Uchiha. The Five Kage were confused and shocked two see them after all, Uchiha Itachi was already dead and Uchiha Sasuke has attacked them before in the Summit.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi. Long time no see." said the Godaime Hokage.

"Hn. Let's get this over with, I need to talk to you." said Itachi.

Tsunade nodded in reply. "I've heard your reasons for your recent actions. No need to explain that, what needs to be explained is your apparent teamwork with your brother and the actions that you will do here. As you can see, were currently busy." She already knew the reason behind the massacre.

The other Kage were speechless until the Sandaime Tsuchikage broke the silence while evading attacks from Madara. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TSUNADE? I'm sure you already know what happened in the Summit! How can you entertain these two, considering the fact that they're both criminals?"

"We can explain later for now, were here to help." said Itachi while his brother nodded in assurance.

"We don't want your help, we don't really trust you." said the Raikage.

"No. Let them help, I trust them." said Tsunade.

"If she does, then I will also trust them." said Gaara.

"Fine!" cried the Tsuchikage.

"This will be fun." shouted Madara.

With the help of Itachi and Sasuke they were able to seal Madara Uchiha by the use of the Sword of Totsuka. They then proceeded to go to camp to get their well deserved rests.

"Itachi, Sasuke. Come with me, I'll find room for you to rest but don't associate with others too much. Other people might assume unwanted statements and consequences. I'll call for Shizune." said Tsunade with caution. She then talked to a ninja and told him to ask Shizune to meet her. The ninja nodded in understanding.

Both men nodded in agreement and started to look around the camp. Sasuke saw a few familiar faces, but he did not want to be seen and acknowledged by them yet.

Tsunade led them to a fairly roomy tent. Shizune came in a few moments later and her eyes widened slightly upon seeing the brothers. Tsunade gave her a commanding glare and nodded.

Shizune suddenly grinned. "I see, more company I guess."

Tsunade smirked. "You know what to do." Shizune was on her way out of the tent when a voice broke the silence

"Wait, Hokage-sama. What do you mean _more_?" asked Itachi with a small frown etched on his face.

"I'll show you. Shizune, tell our first guest to see us here."

"Okay, Tsunade-sama. But should his escort come as well?"

Tsunade grinned. "Sure, why not."

Sasuke and Itachi frowned in confusion. A few moments later, a voice from outside the tent was asking for permission to come in.

"Tsunade-sama, may we come in?" said a voice, familiar to Sasuke.

"Yes." replied the Hokage.

Three pairs of eyes widened when the pair Shizune was talking about entered the tent. One was from Itachi, surprised but slightly joyed to see Akasuna no Sasori. His surprise was quickly covered by his smirk. The second was from Sasuke shocked to see Sasori with Sakura holding her stretched hand behind Sasori's, as if supporting him. A mixed emotions started to boil inside him, slight anger, slight confusion, slight disappointment, and slight _jealousy_. And the last was from Sakura, she didn't expect that this was the day that her wish would finally come true. The day that Sasuke would come back, especially because they were in the middle of a shinobi war and he was standing there beside his supposed-to-be-dead brother. Sasori, however, remained stoic.

"Tsunade-sama, I-I think I should leave you for now. If you need me, I'll be with Kakashi-sensei." said Sakura as she walked out.

Tsunade thought about stopping her, but she didn't because she understood that her pupil needed some time alone to cope with what she just saw. "Okay. If you need me, I'll just be talking here with these men."

Sakura walked out of the tent and ran to her tent with tears in her eyes. Karin saw her running and wondered what that was about. After all, the known medic was in love with Sasuke. Karin, of course, had given up on Sasuke for almost killing her but this caused her to think that maybe Sakura was desperate for still having hope for Sasuke or she really loved him with unconditional love.

Sakura sat on the far corner of the tent with her knees close to her chest. She crossed her arms and placed them with her head on top of her knees and cried quietly for half an hour. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. She was relieved and happy but she was confused and doubtful. "So what if he's back? Everything will be back to normal, just as it always has. He'll just keep on hurting me and call me weak." thought Sakura. After that she convinced herself to not push Sasuke to be with her if he doesn't want to because maybe she'll just end up hurt again.

* * *

"Now, we can talk in peace." said Tsunade.

"Hn." Itachi nodded and began to explain everything. "As you know, the Edo Tensei is a very powerful jutsu. Not even the user's death can cause it to be stopped. Sasuke and I battled Kabuto and defeated him without killing him and I cast Tsukuyomi on him to get some information."

Tsunade and Sasori nodded in understanding and Itachi continued. "I have discovered that now that I made Kabuto release the jutsu, the effects of the Edo Tensei will gradually fade. But the rate of deactivation will be based upon the chakra reserves of the people resurrected and since most of the resurrected ninja are very powerful, it will take some time before the deactivation is finished."

"In short, the war won't be over yet anytime soon." said Sasori, calmly.

"Yes. As for me, I have about a few months up to a year to remain here." said Itachi.

"So using fuinjutsu would probably be the best techniques to use against the resurrected shinobi." Sasuke said softly, almost in a whisper.

Itachi looked at Sasori. "Hn. In Sasori's case however, he was almost killed or rather already killed for the second time by my genjutsu. But Chiyo gave up her life to heal you saying that she would rather die by letting you live and giving you free will than being controlled by Kabuto but-"

"But it wasn't actually successful and I was given a human body." Sasori interrupted.

"Aa."

"Why were you trying to kill him with genjutsu?" Tsunade asked Itachi.

"We tried to leak some information but Kabuto controlled me and tried to kill him." answered Itachi.

"So all that's left is Tobi, the Zetsu clones, and other resurrected shinobi." said Sasori.

Everyone else nodded. "Okay, I'll leave all of you to rest now. Sasori, I'll call your escort to pick you up and check up on you" said Tsunade as she walked out of the tent. Sasuke felt that strange feeling again.

"Why can't you just lead me to my resting place?" asked an impatient Sasori.

"Did it occur to you that maybe I would want to talk to my apprentice, alone?" answered Tsunade.

"Fine." replied a slightly irritated Sasori.

* * *

Sakura wiped the tears from her face and closed her eyes for a minute to try to remove the reddish color. Even after closing her eyes, small drops of tears fell onto her cheeks. She wiped them with her wrist and tried her best to put on a great smile.

"Sakura, are you okay?" said Tsunade, slightly surprising her pupil from behind.

"Of course I am, Tsunade-sama." answered Sakura without turning back.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you that he was back. I should've known you wouldn't take it a hundred percent well."

"No. You don't have to apologize, I'm ha-happy that he's back…Has Naruto returned?"

Tsunade looked at the ground. "No, he hasn't yet. He's still battling with Tobi."

Sakura turned to face Tsunade. "I see."

"Well, like Sasori, they're on our side now."

"Do the other Kage and the commanders already know about this?"

"The Kage already agreed that the two will be our allies. They can be great advantages since they know a lot about the Akatsuki's strategies and Tobi might still don't know that Sasuke has seen the light, so we have the element of surprise on our side."

Sakura just nodded.

Tsunade directly faced Sakura. "Sakura, are you ready to actually talk to him yet?"

Sakura gazed at the ground. "I guess not yet, not without Naruto and Kakashi-sensei by my side."

Tsunade nodded in understanding and captured Sakura in a light and comforting embrace. "Okay, but would you mind if you will be Akasuna's escort for the rest of this whole stupid war? Don't worry, I'll assign someone else when you have battles by division."

Sakura nodded. "It's okay, I'll take care of him for the time being. But how about Itachi and Sasuke? They're both former Akatsuki members so why won't they have someone to walk and hang around with?"

"The difference is Akasuna's body. Since before he was reincarnated, he didn't have a human body we still don't know if there would be side effects regarding Chiyo's sacrifice. His health is on the line and I'm assigning you this since you can easily heal him or protect him in both situations."

Sakura looked at Tsunade in the eyes. "Understood." They walked to the Uchiha Brothers' tent together.

* * *

"Sasori, how long have you been here?" asked a curious Itachi.

"Three days. Sakura Haruno has been my 'personal medic' if that's the proper way of saying it. I heard she was your brother's teammate." Sasori said then turned to look at Sasuke.

Sasuke gave Sasori a small scowl. "Yes, she was."

"I've also heard other things about your small _friendship_." said Sasori mockingly.

"That is none of your business!" shouted Sasuke as the Hokage and Sakura came in.

"I guess you've _acquainted_ each other." said Tsunade amusingly.

Sasuke turned away. "Hn." Itachi made a very rare smile at the happenings in the tent.

"Anyway…" said Tsunade. "Sakura, join Akasuna no Sasori in his or rather _your _tent." Sasuke cringed at the statement.

"Uh. Tsunade-sama!" said a blushing and embarrassed Sakura.

"What?" asked a rather confused Tsunade. "Oh…oh! Yeah, it is kinda different saying it like that but don't worry. No malice." said a grinning Tsunade while scratching her head out of realization. "Oh. I almost forgot! The Five Kage have decided that tomorrow, we will have a meeting with the high ranks to…introduce you three."

Sasori whispered to Sakura. "Does that imply that we will be introduced as members of the Allied Shinobi Forces?" Sakura replied with a bearly audible "Yes."

"Tsunade-sama. Will he be attending the meeting alone or do I have to _accompany_ him?" said Sakura as she pointed at Sasori. He gave her a soft glare.

"No. I guess, you can rest for a while then. Anyways, Shizune will be part of the meeting. I'll just ask her to keep an eye out for him." Sakura nodded.

"Okay, have a nice rest." said Tsunade as she exited the tent followed by Sakura and the puppet master.

* * *

The next day Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, and Akasuna no Sasori were introduced to the division heads of their alliance. They became a great advantage in the war, not only in the battlefield but in terms of strategies. Eventually, the Allied Shinobi Forces became triumphant in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Many were considered heroes including the Konoha 11 or finally, Konoha 12 since the return of Uchiha Sasuke. Itachi survived the after effects of the Edo Tensei even after most of the reincarnated shinobi were sealed due to the efforts of Tsunade after creating a special jutsu and applying it to Itachi, extending his life. Almost the same how she manages to keep her youthful look despite her age.

Some shinobi were promoted to higher ranks. Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, and Sai, were promoted as Jonin. Sasuke and Naruto were promoted as Chunin since Sasuke was still a Genin when he became a rogue nin and Naruto truly deserved to be promoted for saving Konoha in more than one occasion.

* * *

This is one of my first fanfics ever so please **Review!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Mission

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Naruto nor any of its characters.

**Chapter 1: The Mission**

It had been six months ever since the Fourth Shinobi World War ended. Team 7 was in the Training Grounds, waiting. It was Ten o'clock in the morning and they were waiting for their sensei.

"Uh! We've been waiting for an hour already. Let's just train without him!" said Naruto.

"He's our sensei, Naruto. We'll have to wait for him." said Sakura. "Besides, I heard he just came back from a solo mission yesterday. He might need some rest. "

"Hn. Dobe." said Sasuke.

Sakura became bored and slightly irritated from Naruto and Sasuke's daily bickering so she decided to talk to Sai instead who was sitting on top of a tree. "Hey, Sai." she said as she climbed the tree.

"Hey, Ugly." said Sai as he looked at her with that fake smile of his.

"Sooo…What's keeping you busy?" asked Sakura while adjusting herself on the branch.

"Nothing, just…thinking." Sai stared at the sky.

"About what?"

"About anything good to do while we wait."

"Do you have any good ideas?" said Sakura, just to keep the conversation interesting.

"Not really." Then silence. More silence. They waited in silence for the next half hour.

Sakura couldn't take the deafening silence and boredom anymore, she jumped from the tree and yelled. "That's it! Let's start training! Who wants to spar-." she stopped when she saw Neji staring at her with a serious look.

"Sakura. You're needed in the hospital." Sakura nodded at him, she knew it was important because she wouldn't be called during her day off if it wasn't. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sai jumped from the tree.

Neji looked at the other three from Team 7. "You three, I think you should also go to the hospital. It's quite urgent." Sasuke and Sai nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hey! What about me?" wailed Naruto. He looked where Neji was standing but he was already gone leaving more puffs of smoke.

"Grrrrr." growled Naruto, so he just ran as fast as he could to the hospital and asked the other medics where Sakura was. They led him to a hospital room where the rest of Team 7 were, together with the Hokage.

* * *

"Tsunade obaa-chan, Sakura-chan! What happened?" Naruto was confused because everyone else were circled around a hospital bed. They made way for Naruto to come closer. His eyes widened in shock.

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei! What happened?" Kakashi was lying on the hospital bed covered by bandages in a thin blanket over his body. He was unconscious.

"He just got back from his mission last night. I see it didn't go well. I was planning on giving you a mission but as you can see, Kakashi isn't in the proper state to leave this hospital right now, let alone stand up." said Tsunade.

The rest of Team 7 kept on staring at their sensei. "What happened on his mission anyway? What kind of injuries does he have?" asked Sakura.

"We still don't have much information about his mission. He arrived at the gates all bloody and nearly passing out. Based on his injuries, I suspect he was affected by a genjutsu then attacked by a large group of shinobi." replied Tsunade. Silence.

"Anyway, I'll still give you your mission." They were all surprised and looked at her like she was growing another head. How can the Hokage still give them a mission considering that their sensei was currently incapacitated?

"Bu-but Tsunade-shishou!" said Sakura.

"No buts! Sakura since you are now a jonin, you will be the captain. Sai will assist you considering he is also a jonin. I'll give you a mission briefing in an hour. Meet me in my office, until then look after your sensei." said a quite moody Tsunade as she walked out of the room and banged the door on her way out.

"So…" said Naruto, trying to make up a conversation.

Sakura's hands glowed green and she placed them above Kakashi's body. They moved slowly from left to right, hovering over his bandaged form.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing?" asked Naruto.

Sakura sighed. "I'm a medic-nin, Naruto. What do you think I'm doing? I'm not going to kill him! I'm just checking for any internal injuries, that's all."

Naruto smiled at Sakura and shut his mouth. "What are we going to do now?" Silence answered him. Boredom seemed to follow them that day. An hour passed and they decided to leave. Sakura went to the lobby first to tell other medics that they would be leaving Kakashi alone. One of the medics talked to her. "You'll be leaving now, I see? Hokage-sama told us that you will be leaving after a while, you can go now and we will attend to him immediately." said the medic while giving her a reassuring and sincere smile. Sakura smiled back. "Thank you." She went back to the room and told the others that they should go.

* * *

As soon as they arrived in the Hokage's office, Tsunade locked the door in her office.

"I will be assigning you a very important mission. I expect you to follow your captain's orders." said Tsunade, especially at the three men.

"Why does Ugly have to be the captain?" asked Sai. Sakura's temper started to heat up.

"Well, let's just say she'll be doing something important. Let me explain-." said Tsunade.

"Wait." interrupted Sai. "She doesn't have to seduce anyone, does she? Because she would be horrible-." Sakura's temper was rising, she slapped Sai. "Why don't you shut up?" Sai put on his fake smile. Sasuke smirked, in his thoughts.

"Uh-uhm!" said Tsunade, trying to cough. "Let me explain first." She glared at them first, warning them not to interrupt. "Since the Invasion of Pain, Konoha isn't exactly in perfect shape. Especially, since it was followed by the war. Until now, the Hidden Leaf can still be _vulnerable_. Even though, we have great shinobi, that won't entirely secure the village's safety. We won't know when a tragedy might strike again. So, the Kazekage and I have decided that the upcoming Chunin Exams will be held in Sunagakure, even though Konoha must be the next venue, because the village is still recovering from its great damage."

"So, what exactly is our mission?" asked Sai.

"You will be staying in Sunagakure for at least a few weeks. You will monitor the entire village for any problems. You will coordinate with the Kazekage and the Kazekage Advisory Council for the safety and success of the Chunin Exams. Konoha and Suna will most likely communicate through you for this mission. When you arrive in Suna, report immediately to the Kazekage."

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura nodded in understanding and slightly furrowed their eyebrows. The last chunin exams that Naruto and Sasuke had ended in the Invasion of Konoha and the death of the Hokage, if it weren't for their great support in the war they wouldn't be promoted. Sai remained emotion less but still looked serious about the matter.

Tsunade continued. "Now that the war has ended, rogue nin are said to become more powerful because of their attacks on affected lands and villages. We cannot let shinobi as such to infiltrate the exams, considering the fact this is another way to show the unification of the shinobi nations. Should anything different or unexpected happen in the mission, inform me immediately."

Tsunade turned to Sakura and held two identical scrolls, one on each of her hands. "Sakura, you will lead this mission as I said. You will give this scroll to the head of the Kazekage Advisory Council. Also, it seems that the head of the Council will require your help from your medical abilities so he will be your personal medic, if necessary." She gave the scroll on her right hand to Sakura who nodded. She looked at Sai next. "Sai, you will give this scroll to the Kazekage." she handed the other scroll from her left hand to Sai. "I'm giving the scrolls to you separately, so you can protect them better and in case you get attacked on your way to Suna, you can just meet in the Kazekage's office."

Sasuke and Naruto felt somehow slightly inferior. "Wait! Why do they have to deliver the scrolls? It's kinda unfairfor me and Sasuke-teme. We can handle them! What are we supposed to do? Stand around doing nothing?" said a slightly frustrated Naruto. Sasuke nodded, because even though he was embarrassed of Naruto's blunt reaction, he too, felt underestimated. He didn't know why. He knew that Tsunade knew very well of her capabilities.

Tsunade rubbed her temples, her temper was rising but she managed to calm down. "Well, Sasuke Uchiha is still in his one year probation. The fact that he is part of this mission is already a consideration, according to the council." Sasuke's eyebrows slightly furrowed, he was accepted back in Konoha but he was given a one year probation because of the fact that he was considered as an international criminal before he aided in the war. What surprised him when they gave him his "punishment" was that his older brother wasn't even given any punishment because his recruitment in the Akatsuki and classification as an S-rank criminal was all part of his so called "mission". That annoyed him very, very much. His brother just laughed lightly at him when they were informed of this. "Hn."

"And as for dickless, he is way too irresponsible to guard the scroll." said Sai in a rather serious manner. Sakura lightly smiled at this.

"Hey!" said Naruto. "I am not irresponsible nor am I dickless!" Sai just put on his fake smile in reply.

Tsunade rubbed her temples again. "The point is Naruto, you can be _carefree _sometimes."

"Ugh! Fine, when do we start this mission?" asked Naruto.

"Tomorrow morning, sunrise. Anymore questions?"

"Ah, Tsunade-shishou?" asked Sakura.

"Yes?"

"Do you know who the head of the Kazekage Advisory Council is?"

Tsunade smirked and Sakura was sure she saw her eyes sparkle. "I'll let you find out when you get there. Dismissed." Tsunade walked to the door, unlocked and opened it and let the four people walk out of her office.

* * *

"Wow, Sakura-chan! You're the team captain! How about you treat us to ramen?" said a grinning Naruto. They were walking the streets of Konoha, it was roughly noon and they were hungry. Sakura was going to decline but she heard a light stomach grumble. She didn't want to ask from whom it came from. "Sure, Naruto. Let's go to Ichiraku's now and I'll treat all of you. Then we can prepare for tomorrow's mission after lunch." "Yes!" said Naruto triumphantly while jumping in the air with a raised fist. "Hn." They all missed eating ramen at Ichiraku since it was destroyed in the Invasion of Pain.

They gave their orders and ate them quietly, except for Naruto who enjoyed his ramen too much to keep quiet. They were ready to leave when a certain redhead screamed and rain in their direction.

"Sasuke-kuuun!" yelled Karin. She proceeded to hugging him while he pushed her off himself. "Get away from me, Karin." Karin had once again become one of Sasuke's fan girls and annoyed him more than she used to first, because Sasuke's chakra has calmed down compared to when all he thought about was revenge. Second, they now lived somewhat peacefully in Konoha which means living in the same village which caused Karin to really get her hopes up. Finally, because now Sasuke was kind of recognized as a hero in the village for his contribution in the war.

"Go away." repeated Sasuke. Karin cringed at the sight of Sakura. But Sakura just smiled softly at her.

"Hi, Karin…!" said Sakura awkwardly as she tried her best to smile. Silence. "Well, I have to go now. I need to get ready for tomorrow's mission." said Sakura as she got up from her seat and started to take a few steps to her house.

"Sakura-chan! Why do you have to leave so early? We still have a few hours left. Let's have some fun!" said Naruto. The two other men looked at Sakura.

"Well, as Tsunade-shishou said we'll be on this mission for at least a few weeks so I guess I'll start packing. And I have to prepare some medical supplies for the Head of the Kazekage Advisory Council. Who knows what kind of illness he must have?" said Sakura as she stopped and faced her teammates. "Hmm, maybe I should have asked Tsunade-shishou what disease he must have…" thought Sakura reluctantly.

"And, don't be late tomorrow! Sunrise!" yelled Sakura as she walked towards her home.

"Hn. I have to go too. Bye." said Sasuke as he disappeared in smoke, mostly just to get away from Karin.

"Ah, well. Bye, dickless." said Sai as he went home as well, leaving Naruto and Karin.

"Uh, I guess I'll go home too. Uhm, bye Karin!" and he ran to his own home, leaving Karin alone and frustrated while mumbling something about "_my Sasuke-kun_".

Everyone prepared their needed supplies for the mission. They knew how important the mission was, especially now because their sensei won't be with them. They packed all necessary clothes, scrolls, weapons, and medicine. Sakura wondered what the scroll could be because it seemed very, very important. It had a powerful seal which she knew, can only be removed to whom the scroll was addressed. So she prepared everything, double checked, triple checked, and even quadruple checked. She slept early, hoping that everything would run smoothly in their mission. After all, this was her first mission as the _captain_.

* * *

**A/N:** How was it? Please Review! If you have any questions just review and ask, so you won't be misunderstood. I'll answer them. :D

I'll appreciate anything you would like tell me, since this is one of my first fanfics. I'll try to update as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 2: The Journey and Onset

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! Please do tell me if I have any grammatical or spelling errors. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

* * *

_After Everything_

**Chapter Two: The Journey and Onset**

Sakura tapped her foot as she impatiently waited for her teammates in the gates of Konoha. She rubbed her eyes to help her get back to her senses since she was already bored and started getting sleepy while waiting for her teammates. The sky was still dark and the sun was nowhere to be seen yet but as the team captain, she made sure she was the first one to arrive. She was about to release the yawn she was suppressing when she heard footsteps from behind her. She turned around to see Sasuke behind her.

"Good Morning, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn." He wanted to talk to her but he didn't know the right words to tell her. He started to feel something _different _every time he saw her or thought about her. He knew that but he didn't admit that to anyone, even to himself. He was about to say something when he felt the presence of someone else other than Sakura.

"Hey, Ugly. Uchiha-san." said Sai as he gave his two teammates a fake smile. Tsunade advised him not to give Sasuke a nickname. She didn't want Sasuke to be angered, have a killing spree, and convince himself that he's an avenger-again. So basically, she _ordered _Sai not to get on his bad side. After all, the former ANBU's job was to replace him, until he decided to stay permanently and resign from his ANBU position.

"Hn."

"Good Morning, Sai. Have you seen Na- " Sakura was interrupted by a very loud ninja running to them.

"Sakura-chaaan!" yelled Naruto as he ran and finally stopped in front of Sakura.

"Is everyone ready?" asked the team captain. Everyone else nodded in reply. "Let's go."

They started walking straight ahead from the gates of Konoha to the Forest of death where one of the routes going to the Sand Village is located. They walked in a moderate speed, quiet enough not to attract any bandits or rogue nin but not entirely slow and silent. It was noon when they decided to rest and eat for a while by a nearby river.

"Let's stay here for a while." said Sakura. She stopped and removed her backpack from her back and rested it by a tree. She formed her hand into a cup-like shape and used it to gather some water from the river. She poured the water to her sweating face to cool off. Naruto did the same.

"Hn." said Sasuke as he drank some water from his bottle and sat under a shady tree.

Sai looked around the place. He made hand seals and made a clone. The clone ran from where it stood and climbed up from tree to tree. "Hey Ugly, I sent a clone to take watch. Just in case."

"Hm. Good." Sakura sat by a tree a few yards from Sasuke. Naruto sat on the other side of Sakura's tree. They ate their food and drank water. After that, Sakura called them for a short meeting.

"Here…" she said as she opened a map. The map showed the different routes going to Sunagakure from Konoha.  
"We are currently located here." She pointed at the Forest of Death. "Now, if we run and continue to take this way ahead, we just might be in Suna by sundown." She looked at her teammates to see if they understood. They nodded. "However, it's quite risky, several meters ahead the path we're taking will split into two. If we take the one on the left, we will take some time. We'll be in Suna by tomorrow. But if we take the one by the right side, we might reach Suna by sundown."

"So we take the right one…" interrupted Naruto.

"Not so fast, this route is commonly used by merchants. So, there will be bandits on the way. If we go there, civilians will surely be affected."

"Hn." Sasuke was impressed by Sakura's critical thinking, but he won't admit that to anyone,_ ever_.

"So either we reach Suna tomorrow, or this evening. But if we go with the latter then we will have to go for the kill. Fast." said Sai, completely understanding the situation.

"Yes. So let's choose." said Sakura.

"I say, let's take the left route." said Naruto.

"Dobe. Hokage-sama said that we should get there as soon as possible."

"I know, but we can't just sacrifice people's lives!"

Sakura snapped her fingers. "I've got it! We'll take the route on the right side." Sasuke was a little bit surprised, he expected that she'll support Naruto, for the lives of other people.

"Bu-but, Sakura-chan!" stuttered Naruto.

"Wait, Naruto. Even if we will take the other path, there's no guarantee that the civilians aren't in danger. So, we'll send a clone as a look out for the path on the right side. Sai can take care of that, right?" She looked up to Sai. He nodded. "Then, we can be alerted when bandits may be starting an attack. If they do, then we can evacuate any civilians present at the time, If there aren't we'll have to take them down. But either case, we'll have to do it quickly." She looked at her teammates. "Any questions?"

"No, captain." said Sai.

"Now, let's go." said the captain.

"Hn."

They left the area and ran toward their direction, a little separately. Sai made hand seals and sent the clone as a look out. The clone ran faster than them and started to do his task.

* * *

"I find it somehow difficult to believe that the Akatsuki has lost the war… and somehow, Madara Uchiha has been destroyed." said the man, sitting on his throne-like chair.

"Yes, master." said his kneeling servant.

"But how do you think it is possible?" the man rubbed his chin.

"Well master, according to our research Madara Uchiha has been sealed."

"Sealed? What kind of fuinjutsu has been used? I believe that only one clan has the power to seal someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha. But that clan has long since lived... The Uzumaki Clan." the man furrowed his eyebrows.

"Rumors say that, it was the power of the Sharingan that defeated him…"

"Sharingan? Only and only the Uchiha contains that kind of power. The Clan was destroyed some years ago, by one of its members. Could it be that the clan's destroyer was the one who sealed Madara?"

"I am not certain of it, but the rumors also imply that it was he-with his younger brother. It seemed that the two of them were the survivors of the clan."

"I see, so he spared his brother. Uchiha Itachi… Do you know the name of his brother?"

"Aa. Uchiha Sasuke. He was a student of Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin. Both he and his older brother are considered prodigies."

"I see… I want to possess this power for my plan to succeed. Give me more information of the Uchiha, acquiring this power may be somehow…complicated. Nevertheless, I must have it.

"Yes, master." And with that the servant took his leave to gather information of the great power of the Uchiha.

* * *

"Sai, are there any civilians nearby?" asked the team captain.

"No, but there are some rogue nin in the vicinity."

"Hmm…We can't immediately detect how many are close by, let's try to avoid them. We need to get pass them as soon as possible, it's almost sundown." she turned to her teammates.

"If any of them attack you, finish them quickly. You don't need to kill them, leaving them unconscious will be enough."

"Hn."

"Got it, Sakura-chan!" Then they separated while moving forward. Everything seemed to be fine, no one followed them. "Our stealth skills must really be improving." thought Naruto. Just then, he stopped to see where the others were. He couldn't see them, that's when he heard the chirping of a thousand birds and felt the shaking of the tree he was standing on. The tree snapped and fell to the ground, he just in time evaded the debris of trees falling around him in a domino effect. "Sakura-chaaan!" He ran to where the force of the falling trees were coming from and gasped when he saw a crater, no doubt made by their team captain.

"Naruto! Have you seen Sai?" yelled Sakura as he knocked out several of the rogue nin at the same time. A few meters away from her was Sasuke, swiftly stabbing and slashing through bodies with a sword enlaced with blue sparks of lightning.

"No! Is everyone okay?" replied Naruto as he evaded taijutsu attacks from the rogue nin. He formed hand seals and formed shadow clones to clash with them. He was attacking one with his Rasengan when Sakura answered his question.

"Sasuke-kun and I are fine. Except Sai, I can't find him!" Sasuke scowled at the tone of great concern in Sakura's voice. They continued fighting for half an hour, defeating about a hundred of them. When no more rogue shinobi seemed to attack them, they calmed down. Sakura panted and stepped towards her two teammates when a hand went around her waist.

"Ahh!" yelled Sakura as she turned around and twisted her attacker's arm.

"Sa-Sakura! It's me!" said Sai, frowning in pain.

"I-I'm sorry. I di-didn't mean to scream…" She stopped talking in shock after seeing Sai's leg stabbed and bleeding.

"Oh-Oh Kami! Are you okay? Here-" She placed her arm across his shoulders, supporting his limping form. They walked a few meters away with Sakura supporting Sai.

"Sakura-chan! I'll help you, I'll support Sai. You need some rest." said Naruto as he took Sai from her arms.

"Thank you, Naruto." She looked at the dark night sky. "We all need to rest. I'll look for a place not far from here. We can rest there."

"Hey, Ugly. We need to get to Suna as soon as possible. It's just a few miles from here, why don't we go there already?"

"No! We all need some rest, especially you." She walked towards Sai and hovered her hand with glowing green chakra over his injury. "Your wound is poisoned. You probably won't make it to Suna alive if we don't rest." said Sakura sternly.

"Fine, Ugly."

"Hn." Sasuke jumped high from tree to tree, reaching a high branch. He stood there with his Sharingan activated, scanning the area. He went down a few moments later and faced his teammates."There's a safe place not far from here with a water source. Let's stay there for tonight. I'll lead you there."

Sakura nodded. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun." He nodded back and led them to an area by a small brook. He gathered some fallen leaves and branches and made a fireball jutsu, forming a campfire. "I'll stay watch first." said Sasuke and sat on a branch on a nearby tree.

Sakura checked Sai's wound again and made an antidote for the poison. She checked it again to check for any infections. Next, she wrapped the cut with bandages to secure it. "I'll take the second watch." she announced and proceeded to lie down in her sleeping down for a rest. Naruto was already snoring and Sai fell asleep while his injury was being treated.

After three hours, Sasuke knew his watch was over. He wanted some well-deserved sleep. So he decided to walk to Sakura's sleeping bag to wake her up. When he saw Sakura, he was stunned to see her calm, beautiful and petite form. Her calm face that made the surroundings seem to be the most peaceful place in the world. Her deep slow breaths that relaxed all his nerves and subdued his stress. The innocent smile that was etched on her face enlightened him inside. He didn't want to disturb her, especially in her state. She seemed so calm, so soft, so _fragile_.So it was either he would wake her up or prevent himself from sleeping. It was a difficult choice. In the end he had an ingenious idea.

"Dobe." whispered Sasuke as he kicked the jinchuriki's sleeping bag to wake him up. "Dobe." A little louder and stronger this time. "Dobe!" He forcefully kicked him.

"Ah-Ah! Teme! Wha-what do you want? Waking me up like this?" said Naruto as he rubbed his eyes.

"Dobe. It's Sakura's turn to take watch."

"Suh-so? Why do you have to wake me up?"

"Wake up Sakura."

"What?"

"Wake her up. _Sakura_."

"Why don't you wake her up?" said Naruto, almost yelling.

"I-I don't know how. I'm too tired anyway, just do it."

"But Teme!" He stood up to protest but when he looked at Sasuke, he was already asleep in his sleeping bag.

Naruto walked towards Sakura while grumbling and shook her awake. When she was finally awake, she sat next to a tall and sturdy tree while just looking at the night sky. Naruto, losing his sense of sleepiness decided to talk to Sakura, to keep both of them busy.

"Sakura-chan…"

"What, Naruto?"

"Why have you been_ avoiding_ Teme lately?"

"Wha-what do you mean _avoiding him lately_? said Sakura while bending her eyebrow.

"'Avoiding' as in not talking to him much except when it's about a mission and 'lately' as in ever since he returned to Konoha. I mean, you don't talk to him as much as you used to like, asking him for dinner or lunch or something."

"Hmm. I guess I have been avoiding him slightly."

"Why then?"

"Well, I don't want to annoy him anymore and I don't want him to think that I'm _weak_."

"WEAK? What do you mean weak? Sakura-chan, you're like the strongest kunoichi of our generation! You are anything but weak! Your punches that are sometimes my punishment are proof!"

"Thanks, Naruto. Maybe…But, I don't want him to think I'm annoying. Besides, compared to the three of you, I am weak. I still don't actually know why I was the team captain.

"Sakura-chan, you're the team captain because you are responsible, helpful, intelligent, and a great leader. Don't question that again."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks, Naruto."

"Well, I guess I'll try to sleep now." said a yawning Naruto. "Good night, Sakura-chan!"

"Good night, Naruto." he retreated from her and began to sleep _on_ his sleeping bag.

"Well, because of the fact that I'm still hopelessly in love with him but I don't want to force him to love me, since it's his choice…I don't want to talk to him. Anyways, there_ are_ other girls in his life." thought Sakura. She was reminded of Karin and how Sasuke himself chose her for Team Taka. Somehow, she was jealous of her. "Sasuke never thought of her as _weak_…" whispered Sakura softly. Sakura didn't wake anyone else for watching out. She spent the time being thinking. Thinking of what she would do, now that he was back. She didn't even embrace him tightly in a bone crushing hug when she saw him, like she expected that she would do. "Maybe, I should _distract_ myself and think of more important matters." she thought.

Some hours later, the other members of Team 7 started to wake up. The sky was beginning to light up, gradually. Sakura handed them some food and water. She then looked around the forest they were in and noticed that several meters from them was a desert. "Were almost there, just get yourself ready. Inform me when all of you are properly prepared." She didn't wait for any replies and began to look at her map, studying it. A few moments later, Naruto disturbed her to tell her they were already. She nodded and began walking towards the lonesome desert.

Halfway there, Sakura started running. "Now that were close to Suna, we can't afford to get attacked." Team 7 started running towards Suna, speed being their top priority. After an hour of running, sweating, and panting in the desert, they finally reached the cleft that was the main entrance to the Sand Village. Baki met and welcomed the three of them. He gave the four of them some water to drink and led them to the Kazekage's office. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro welcomed them.

"Whoa! Hi there little youngsters!" roared Temari. She patted Sakura's head, slightly ruffling her hair. Then Naruto. She laid off the emotionless members of Team 7.

"Hi Temari!" said Sakura.

"We haven't seen you for quite some time." said Kankuro. Gaara smiled at them.

"Yeah, were here for a mission." said Naruto.

Sai remembered the mission and took the scroll out of his pack. He walked towards Gaara. "Kazekage-sama. The Godaime Hokage asked me to deliver this scroll to you. It seemed very important."

Gaara nodded softly. "I see." He placed it on top of his table.

"That reminds me…" said Sakura. "When can I meet the Head of the Kazekage Advisory Council? Apparently, he's part of the mission." she asked Gaara.

"In a while, you'll meet him." said the Godaime Kazekage.

"Good. Hey Gaara, do you know where I can get some ramen here? I'm hungry for it already!"

"Sorry Naruto, but you can't eat for a while. We'll have the Kazekage Advisory Council Meeting in a few minutes." said Kankuro.

"Wait. What do you mean by _we_, Temari?"

"Didn't Tsunade-sama tell you? You'll be in all of the Council Meetings during your stay here. And the first one starts in ten minutes." Four pairs of eyes widened at Temari's remark.

* * *

**A/N: **What do you think? Please **REVIEW! **I appreciate anything you would like to tell me. I'll try to update as soon as I can.


	4. Chapter 3: Their Meeting

**A/N: **I'm sorry for my late update. My family and I have been really busy these past few weeks.

**The Girl Across The Street: **It's mainly Sasuke/Sakura, Sasori/Sakura and slight MultiSaku. I'm sorry if it doesn't have much fluff for now. But in the future chapters, there shall be more fluff! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

_After Everything_

**Chapter 3: Their Meeting**

"But, but I'm hungry!" cried Naruto.

"Don't worry, the meeting won't be long enough to kill you from starvation." said Kankuro while a smile spread across his face.

"The council will be here with us soon, let's go. The sooner we can begin, the sooner we can finish." calmly said the Kazekage.

Team 7 silently obliged. The four of them and the sand siblings exited from Gaara's office and entered a much larger room. In the middle was a large brown table capable of seating at least 12 people. Behind the table was a row of glass windows with a great view of the city.

Team 7 sat side by side across Gaara's seat on the large, round table. After a few minutes, the council went inside the room and sat on their respective seats. They all wore the same beige robe, black trousers and sandals. They also had a white cloth wrapped on their heads, covering portions of their faces and their hair but they were still recognizable. All of them gave greetings to Team 7, they knew about the team's respective contributions in the war. Sakura wondered which one of them was the head, especially because all of them seemed to be diplomatic and serious. When everyone seemed to settle down, they just peculiarly sat there in silence.

Team 7 felt awkward for all the silence in the room. Naruto, especially. He began to tap his fingers on the table. No one seemed to notice the soft sound he was making. He decided to break the silence. "Uh Gaara, I don't mean to be rude or anything but…What are we doing?"

Everyone looked at him like he was growing a second head. Gaara answered him calmly though. "The Council is not complete yet, we're still waiting for its Head." Sakura slightly furrowed her eyebrows in understanding. The empty seat on her right must belong the the Head. Sitting on her left was Sai. To his left was Naruto and finally, to Naruto's left was Sasuke. Sakura became puzzled when she heard one of the members of the council mumbled something with the words "traitor", "fraud", "liar" and "impatient". Even more when the other member sitting beside him hit him with his elbow to silence him.

A few moments later, footsteps were heard from outside the door and everyone lifted their heads to see the door creak open. The man that entered was wearing the same beige robe, black trousers and sandals. But the white cloth on his head was rather wrapped more securely, hiding most of the features on his face and leaving only his eyes exposed. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to review some extra documents for preparations." said the man.

Sakura couldn't help but feel mesmerized when she looked into his deep brown eyes. Somehow she knew they had seen them before, but where? When? He walked to the empty seat next to Sakura and sat. He didn't even glance at the Konoha Shinobi. No signs of acknowledgement.

"It's fine, and understandable. Let's begin." said Gaara. The council nodded.

"Before we begin to discuss anything, I would like to accomplish a part of our mission." said Sai. He stood up and placed a scroll on the center of the table. "Kazekage-sama, I would like to present you with this. The Hokage has given me the task to give you this scroll." Gaara nodded and looked at Temari. She took the scroll from the table and placed it on a shelf in the far corner of the room. Sai sat down.

Sakura stood up next. "Excuse me…" Everyone else looked at her, except Sai, Sasuke and the council's Head. "It is also my task to give you this scroll." She turned to the man on her right and placed the scroll in front of him, on the table. She accidently applied excess pressure and a loud sound was made when the scroll made contact with the table. "Uhm, s-sorry." she stuttered. Sakura couldn't help but feel like a smirk was etched on the face of the man that sat to her right.

"Anyway…" uttered Gaara. "It has been decided that the upcoming Chunin Exams will be held in Sunagakure. Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sai are here to help us with the preparations. We will communicate with Konohagakure through them. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads. One of the members faced Gaara. "We have prepared both Chunin and Jonin shinobi for the exams. They may act as reinforcements and look-outs during the exams." Gaara nodded, being impressed. He turned to the team from Konoha, especially their captain. "You will command and lead the Jonin and Chunin reinforcements that we have prepared. I trust that you will cooperate with them for the success of this crucial event." Sakura nodded.

The Council's Leader opened a scroll on the table, in front of everyone's eyes, revealing a map of Sunagakure. Bright yellow pins were attached on the outline of Suna that represented its large wall. The Head pointed at the pins and around the wall. "These shinobi are on the clock for 24/7. They serve as look outs for the city. Starting today, we will increase their numbers, most of them are sensor-types. They are specifically trained for detecting people and chakra signatures within several miles." said the Head. "They can easily communicate with us if anything suspicious happens." He took out four green pins from his pocket and placed them within the city, each far away from each other. "Haruno-san, these four will represent you and your team. You will go around the city for security measures for four days a week, alternating with rest days. As of the remaining days, Baki and his team will monitor within the city. After about a month, shinobi from different villages will begin their arrival for the exams. I ask that you divide your team into two. The first half will stay and guard the village entrance where the registration of arriving shinobi will be held. The second half will stay within the village, near the Kazekage's office for security. Just in case, the second group may be sent as reinforcements for the first." said the Head while pointing at the map for the locations he indicated. All members of Team 7 nodded, showing their comprehension of the plan.

Sakura was rather shocked of how the man beside her knew her name, despite not even acknowledging her existence when he entered. And of how his voice seemed very _young _and_ soft,_ compared to those of the others, since he was after all, their leader.

"Very well." said Gaara, "That's for the security measures."

"How about the exams themselves?" asked a man who sat three seats from his right. "I'm sorry, but that kind of information is considered a lot more…_confidential_. We will discuss that on the day before the beginning of the exams. But they are already finalized. The Kazekage is already very much aware of them." said the man on Sakura's right.

The one who asked the question seemed satisfied with the answer, but there was still a glint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Great, dismissed." announced Gaara. The members slowly left the room one by one, bowing in front of him before walking out the door. The five people who sat across him were however, standing and looking at him. The Kazekage and his siblings stood from their seats.

"What now?" said Naruto.

Temari couldn't help but smile at his somewhat childish statement. "I guess now, you can have lunch."

Naruto grinned widely at the thought of having his meal of delicious ramen. "Oh Great!"

"Naruto! Don't say things like that, it's kinda rude…" said Sakura.

Gaara noticed at the leader of the council just staring at space when he realized something. He began to walk towards him and ended about three feet from his form. "You haven't actually introduced yourself to our guests."

The others in the room shifted their attention to the two. "I guess, it is essential…" he said softly. He walked farther from the group, on the other end of the table.

The members of Team 7 were curious and puzzled at his action. Their eyes followed his every movement. When he came to a halt, their eyes were still fixed upon him. He took the end part of the cloth on his head and carefully pulled it. Suspense filled the room of what he was doing. He was unwrapping the cloth that enveloped his head.

"Oh, finally! We get to see his face!" squealed Inner Sakura.

He continued his act of pulling, twisting and turning the cloth. He removed the many layers that seemed like suffocated him. When he was finally finished, his face was exposed to the world.

Sai's eyes widened in surprise.

Naruto opened his mouth, speechless at first. He pointed at the man across the room. "Uh-uh, you! What are you doing here? And why are you part of Sunagakure's Council? Much more, its leader!" He shouted.

Sakura didn't know how to react. She just stood there. She agreed with Naruto, somehow. But not really shocked of his existence, like Naruto. She didn't say anything.

Sasuke was also surprised but not like his best friend. He could still remember the events from six months ago. He was surprised, of how the man who revealed his identity was given a high rank in the country.

He rolled his eyes lightly at the reaction from the people across him. He knew it was bound to happen, but he was somehow amused by the awkwardness and tension that revolved around the room. This was why he didn't want people to immediately see his face, especially guests. This was why he hated other people's assumptions towards him. It annoyed him to no end. This was why Akasuna no Sasori did not like judgemental people who overreacted.

* * *

"Any information?" said the man who sat on his throne.

"Yes, master." replied his servant. "Sasuke Uchiha is currently in Sunagakure for the Chunin exams. He is part of the team that will ensure the security of the village from any attacks during the exams. A few years ago, Orochimaru attacked Konohagakure during the exams. So this year, security measures have been increased."

"I see." said the man as he stood up and started pacing.

"Master, some of my men attacked him and his team during their journey to Sunagakure. Apparently, his teammates are powerful as well. All three have been taught by the Sannin."

The man paused from his pacing. "Very well, prepare my men. An attack shall be set for the future. The Sharingan is a rare power, I must obtain it."

"Yes, master." And with that, the servant left the dark and eerie room.

* * *

**A/N: **Well? How was it? Please review! And again, please forgive me for not updating sooner. And yes, this chapter was shorter than the others.


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